Degree Date

2012

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology

Abstract

This dissertation examines the establishment, occupation, and abandonment of Kastro Kallithea, a Hellenistic city in Achaia Phthiotis, Thessaly, through data collected from the intensive urban survey of the site. Kastro Kallithea is an orthogonal grid planned city with distinct zones of activities enclosed within a massive circuit wall running 2 km in length. The ancient name of the site is unknown, although it has been tentatively identified by Friedrich Stählin as the ancient polis of Peuma, known from coins and inscriptions. The site was founded in the late fourth century and was occupied into first century B.C.E. There is no evidence for earlier habitation, however Iron Age tombs surrounding the base of the hill attests to the occupation of the surrounding territory. By identifying the use of space in terms of domestic, civic, economic, and military functions through the distribution of the architecture and artifacts, the layout of the city at its foundation and the reconfiguration of the space throughout the duration of the city is examined. In addition, this study examines the incentives of urban living in the Hellenistic period and assess to what extent Kastro Kallithea fits in with the historical circumstances with respect to urban planning, shifts in settlement patterns, and fluctuations in urbanization visible in Thessaly. The urban survey allowed us to map and record all surface remains and establish a chronology of the site, its spatial organization, and loci of activities in order to contextualize the urban center of Kastro Kallithea within its historical and geographical regional network. In light of the paucity of historical and archaeological research in Thessaly, this study contributes to the ongoing dialogue of survey methodology and interpretation of surface assemblages, particularly in non-ploughzones, and supplements our understanding of urban organization of Hellenistic cities and settlement patterns in Thessaly and aims to reinstate Thessaly into the broader history of ancient Greece.

Comments

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